Health is often a manifestation of the habits that govern an individual's lifestyle.

Three Healthy Habits of Centenarians

Have you ever dreamed of hitting one hundred years of age? Of sitting back in a rocking chair, kids, grandkids, and great grandkids gathered around you? To gaze fondly at their faces and known you lived a long and healthy life, that you did everything right, that you have reaped the ultimate reward and sucked every precious moment right out of the time you were given? If so, then you need to start living healthy today. There are a few basic habits that ever centenarian has observed, and if you follow in their footsteps, barring genetically inherited problems, there is no reason you too can't live as long and fulfilling a life. However, it will require a lifetime of commitment, a lifetime of good habits, and that's what will separate the healthy from the others in the long run. So here's three basic habits that all centenarians have followed, and that you could greatly benefit from following too.

The first is to eat a fiber-rich cereal every morning for breakfast. This may sound simple, but the benefits are astounding. Doing so will help you maintain stable blood-sugar levels throughout the whole day, and also ensure that your metabolism gets ramped up from the get-go. There are definite trickle down benefits from here, as you will therefor not have hunger pangs later in the morning which result in binge eating. Starting your day with breakfast will ensure a steady progression of hunger buildup from meal to meal. It also will help you lower your chances of developing diabetes, which is a known accelerator of aging.

Second comes the absolutely essential of getting at least six hours each night of sleep. Doing so will easily help you live longer, as it allows your body to repair itself and heal all the micro-tearing and wearing out that your body sustains throughout the course of the day. Your body almost literally rejuvenates itself every night, which allows you to stay younger - longer.

Finally, be sure to consume whole foods and not supplements or processed food. Doing so will ensure that you get the widest spectrum of nutrients, including the crucial selenium, beta-carotine, Vitamins C and E. Those who have the widest array of nutrients also experience slower cognitive decline, but there is no evidence that taking these nutrients in pill form conveys the same benefit. So be sure to eat the actual fruits, vegetables and nuts that contain these benefits, and not some synthetic version.